Cong dominates, BRS slips, BJP surprises in T’gana civic polls

Hyderabad: Two years since returning to govt, Congress tightened its grip on Telangana's urban landscape Friday by being on course to win at least 83 of 116 municipalities and five of seven municipal corporations that went to polls on Feb 11.Congress sealed a majority in the Mancherial, Ramagundam and Nalgonda municipal corporations by evening and was close to wresting Mahbubnagar from BRS with 29 seats in the 60-member House. The party hopes to also win Kothagudem with the help of its ally CPI.
BJP sprung a surprise by emerging as the single largest party in the Karimnagar and Nizamabad municipal corporations, leaving BRS's cupboard bare. The municipal chairpersons and mayors will be elected on Feb 16.Of the 2,996 wards across 123 urban local bodies, Congress's tally of 1,537 marked a sharp spike from the 569 seats it won in the 2020 municipal elections. The party had also performed well in the Dec 2025 rural polls, winning the majority of panchayats. CM A Revanth Reddy described the outcome as an endorsement of the Congress govt's welfare and development agenda over the past two years. Thanking voters and party workers, he said the mandate had increased the govt's responsibility."With this landslide victory, we rededicate ourselves to the development of the state, welfare of the people and transparent governance. We will develop every municipality and municipal corporation and continue to win the trust of the people," Revanth said in a social media post.BRS won 781 wards, down from 1,686 in 2020, and secured 15 municipalities. BJP improved its tally to 335 wards from 293 last time, while AIMIM won 70 seats compared to 87 in the previous polls.The BJP was heading towards victory in the Karimnagar and Nizamabad municipal corporations with Feb 16 polling becoming crucial where ex-officio members and independents, who bagged 181 seats, are expected to play a key role in deciding chairperson and mayoral posts.In Kothagudem, where Congress and CPI won 22 seats each, the mayor's post is likely to go to the CPI but late night talks are on to decide the mayoral candidate between the two parties, sources said.Several urban local bodies returned hung verdicts, setting the stage for intense political manoeuvring. Allegations of poaching surfaced, with parties reportedly shifting elected members to secure their numbers.Political observers said that while urban voters gave the Congress a decisive advantage, the BRS and BJP mounted a competitive challenge. A senior observer said the municipal results were unlikely to significantly alter state-level political equations, though they reflect shifting dynamics since the Dec 2023 assembly elections.BRS working president KT Rama Rao said the party's performance was notable after setbacks in the 2023 assembly and 2024 Lok Sabha polls, claiming public discontent against the Congress was visible in the results.BJP state president N Ramachander Rao said the party had improved its performance, claiming it won over 330 wards and emerged as the single largest party in six municipalities. He said the BJP was on course to win the Karimnagar and Nizamabad corporations and could secure chairperson posts in Raikal, Narayanpet and Adilabad with support from ex-officio members and independents.The AIMIM won 68 wards, emerged as the single largest party in Bhainsa municipality and recorded a strong performance in the Nizamabad corporation.Elections have not been held to GHMC, two other municipal corporations within the ORR core urban belt, and Khammam and Warangal municipal corporations.Get the latest lifestyle updates on Times of India, along with Valentine's day wishes, messages and quotes !